[Gpdd] Bridge: Scrabble and sedation

[Ann Evans]

Dear Alge and all Piggy Slaves

I feel Alge brought up some very important issues about how we should 
share our knowledge of cavy medicine even when it comes to pre-sedation 
and euthanasia. I wrote in issue 323 about Peaceful Euthanasia. For 24 
years I have operated a private cavy rescue home. I am a pharmaceutical 
scientist and medical device inventor who loves piggys. To me they are 
the most deserving of all animals since so many have given their lives 
to science. Back in the early years when I lived in Miami a vet botched 
euthanizing one of my piggys. After that I always insisted when I would 
interview a vet to see if she/he was qualified to care for my piggys I 
would tell the vet how I wanted euthanasia to be performed if the need 
ever arose. If the vet said no, I would look for another vet. I used to 
always have the vet first give 2% isoflurane anesthetic gas to the piggy 
that was to be euthanized. Within minutes the piggy would gently fall 
asleep and then when there were no reflex movements the lethal injection 
would be administered. It was not until 2001 when I met Dr. Frank 
Bonsack that I changed the way I have euthanasia performed.

By the way isoflurane is the only anesthetic gas a piggy needs for 
surgery or if your vet will only trim teeth if your cavy is under 
anesthesia. According to Vedra Stanley Spatcher of the Cambridge Cavy 
Trust,CCT, and Guinea Pig Hospital a cavy should receive 0.2ml of 
Rimadyl prior to surgery and any fluid or food aspirated from the back 
of the throat and only 2% isoflurane used for anesthesia.....nothing 
else, no matter what type of surgery is being performed. After the 
surgery is completed the isoflurane is turned off the cavy is given 
oxygen given oxygen and should be awake and walking and eating within 15 
minutes of surgery. I can attest to this procedure being used on my 
cavies and all of them recovered fully. I feel that I am the person 
employing the vet and the vet either does it my way or if the vet does 
not feel comfortable doing it my way it is up to me to find a vet that 
will do it my way. I have been a member of the Cambridge Cavy Trust for 
10 years. Vedra Stanley Spatcher has treated over 40,000 cavies. Anyone 
wanting to know more about CCT or the British Association of 
Rodentologists can pm me.

Ann and the rescued Piggys of Piggyville Tampa Florida USA
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